...to protect trees from the European spruce bark beetle.

Next week (from 28 February), “Rīgas Meži” will begin sanitary felling work in the company's Daugava forestry district – in Ogres Zilie kalni. Significant damage caused last autumn by the European spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus) has been identified there.

The goal of the sanitary felling is to limit the mass spread of the bark beetle before the insects' active spring season, or first flight, which usually occurs in April. It is the company's responsibility to act promptly to protect this area and monitor other forest regions to prevent the mass spread of the pests.

The European spruce bark beetle is a dangerous pest for the Norway spruce. As a result of its activity, a tree and often an entire group of trees die. The beetle is most dangerous to spruces over 50 years old and in stands where spruces are weakened for some reason, for example, due to moisture or drought, or following periods of intense wind or snow.

“Rīgas Meži” Forestry Department head Jānis Ģērmanis: “Observations indicate that last autumn was favourable for the bark beetle population. Greater insect damage has been identified in forest stands than in the previous season. The significant damage caused by wind and snow this winter increases the risk of a rise in the spread of bark beetles in 2022, and freshly damaged spruce stands attract these pests, as well as creating favourable conditions for them to breed. Furthermore, several observations indicate an atypical overwintering method for the insect this winter – some bark beetles overwintered in trees rather than in the leaf litter as is usual. It is difficult to judge its impact on pest development this spring for the time being.”

Sanitary felling work in Ogres Zilie kalni will take place in three stages:

• felling of undergrowth (shrubs) to ensure safety for subsequent work and adequate access for machinery to the diseased and endangered trees,

• felling of trees and removal of timber. Its goal is to clear this part of the forest of the further spread of the European spruce bark beetle, which is so dangerous to the forest,

• restoration of forest road infrastructure over a length of 800 metres to ensure the area is once again accessible to visitors for various outdoor activities.

Sanitary felling is planned over an area of 0.37 hectares. The work is scheduled to be carried out by the end of March. The aforementioned felling operations may take place simultaneously or may be temporarily halted in the event of adverse weather conditions.

“Rīgas Meži” calls on residents to observe safety requirements during the work! For safety reasons, during the work, the following is not permitted in this area, including on forest roads and natural tracks:

• movement of motorised vehicles,

• movement of pedestrians and cyclists.

Overall, in order to promptly determine the situation in all forests under the company's management, as well as to proactively react and limit the spread of this beetle, “Rīgas Meži” specialists are monitoring the situation: a risk map is being created with areas where high bark beetle concentration and damage risk are expected; increased monitoring will be carried out in these areas; and about 200 bark beetle traps will be placed to ensure pest control and to be able to draw conclusions about pest activity in specific areas.

Currently, work is underway in all five “Rīgas Meži” forestry districts to collect freshly infested and/or wind-felled or snow-damaged spruce stands by the end of March. The work must be carried out in a short time so that after the forest is cleaned up, there is at least one more month until the spring flight of the bark beetles. This is significant, as this is a time when the scent of broken or damaged trees, which increasingly attracts the pests, will diminish.

Overall, there has not been a particularly high concentration of European spruce bark beetles or resulting damage in “Rīgas Meži” territories in recent years. This is explained by the fact that the company's specialists carefully monitor the situation and carry out preventive pest control measures, as well as the fact that spruce is not the dominant tree in “Rīgas Meži” territories (approximately 10% of the total tree proportion). However, it is currently observed that the situation could worsen compared to previous years. But clear trends and precise forecasts will be known at the beginning of the summer. Cleanup work on insect-infested, wind- and snow-damaged stands will also take place in other “Rīgas Meži” territories.